We will surprise India: Pakistan head coach Saqlain

Pakistan Head Coach Saqlain admits India ahead in preps, but promises to surprise.

Pakistan head coach Muhammad Saqlain on Wednesday admitted that India are ahead of his side in terms of preparations but promised to surprise the hosts in the Asian Champions Trophy hockey match-up between the arch-rivals on August 9.

"Definitely, preparation-wise India is ahead since it has been playing of late and is coming off a stint in Europe, whereas we have arrived right from our homes. It is the same even in cricket," Saqlain said during a media interaction.

"We want to play more matches against India that would be beneficial for both sides. Obviously, India is at an advantage here in terms of fitness. But we also prepare in the same hot weather conditions, and we will surprise them when we meet."

Pakistan have not played any competitive match this year, having missed out on participating in the FIH World Cup in India earlier this year. However, Saqlain feels that they have had adequate preparations all these times, especially in the last three months.

"We have been preparing for the last three months, and we have focused on improving our structure. We play attacking hockey. Physically, we might be lagging, but we are number one in terms of attack." While many teams have expressed their apprehensions about the scheduling of the ACT before the all-important Olympic qualifier Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, next month, Saqlain branded this tournament as a "full-dress rehearsal" of the continental multi-sport event.

"I believe it's a full-dress rehearsal before the Asian Games. I credit FIH for having done so, as even if you make mistakes in this competition, you can immediately rectify them before a massive event like the Asian Games," said Saqlain.

The Pakistan team is currently ranked 16th but Saqlain believes that it is in a gradual process of improvement and needs time to become a major powerhouse again.